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The Rite of Spring

As the earth blooms and the sky sings, the mere thought of Spring has inspired poets and composers through the ages to celebrate the resurgence of life with sweet, bouyant thoughts. But not Igor Stravinsky. His 1912 Le Sacre de Printemps (“The Rite of Spring”) was inspired by a vastly different muse. Surely one of the most important works in the annals of art, its impact still reverberates across all types of music.

I like that quote from Peter Guttmann..

I have The Atlanta Symphony (Levi) and recently bought the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra SACD with Yuri Simonov. (Excellent performance and great sonics). I'd like to hear Bernsteins too. Do any of you have one you'd highly recommend. Thanks - Mark

classical1

Showing 2 responses by guidocorona

guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
I endorse the Igor Markevich performance. From a subtlety of interpretation, Pierre Boulez was deemed by the small Stravinskian crowd of disturbed teenagers that I grew up with to be one of the ultimate interpreters. Herbert Von Karajan we used to frown upon of course because of his slightly more romantic/lush performance. . . 30 years later. . . I realized there is nothing wrong with it, great stuff in fact. Stravinsky's own performance is NOT an interpretation. . . it is just a 'reading' at best, and its value mostly documentary and antiquarian.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Aida_w, Stravinsky made it a point to conduct most of his works. Besides enhancing well his already significant income, it was a way for him to finalize the score and -- by forging an performance archetype -- to close any interpretive loops and exercise supreme control over the music. Nothing wrong with that. . . except that while he is deemed by more than a few to be the greatest composer of the 20th century, his conducting prowess are dutyful at best, and fall far short of any exalted renown. For a particularly bad example of J. S. at the podium, listen to his recording of his own Cantata. . . used to be available many years ago on CBS Masterworks. G.
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